25-10-22. Match report Vs Chorley FC

Harriers return to winning ways against battling Chorley

Report: Dan Harper

After a month of matches without a victory in the league and a string of poor performances, which left the management under pressure, Kidderminster Harriers ground out a 1-0 victory in a much better showing against Chorley FC at Aggborough.

Chorley won the toss and the away side switched the teams round so that the Harriers faced towards the North Stand. It would be the Chorley who would have the first chance of the half when, in the second minute, the ball fell to Billy Whitehouse on the edge of the Harriers box who then let fly only to see his effort expertly parried away by Tom Palmer in the Harriers goal.

Eighteen minutes later, as the clock ticked over to the twentieth minute, the Harriers had the first great chance of their own when they had a free kick on the edge of the area. Ashley Hemmings took it only to see his effort turned round the post by Matt Urwin in the away sides goal. However, it would only take the home side five more minutes to break the deadlock.

Hemmings was played through on goal with just Urwin to beat following a great ball from Ethan Freemantle. As Hemmings went around the keeper, on the angle, he fired in and struck the upright before Freemantle’s follow up was saved by Urwin however split seconds after, in the following passage of play, Amari Morgan-Smith played in Caleb Richards, of all people, to fire the ball home into the far corner queuing mass celebration among the Harriers faithful.

The home side almost made it two five minutes later when in the thirtieth minute Freemantle nodded a header just over Chorley’s bar from a corner. Once again, the lead was almost doubled in the forty third minute just before half time when a Gabby Rogers drive hit the side-netting.

HT: 1 – 0

It wouldn’t be until the sixty ninth minute that another major chance would arrive for either side. The away side had a great chance to level when Connor Hall found space in the box as a corner was floated in with his header clipping the underside of the bar before going behind.

The Harriers defended superbly in the last ten minutes to prevent Chorley having any real sniff at goal with blocks from Krystian Pearce and headers away being a common theme to shut the away side out.

Then in injury time the Harriers found themselves gifted with two golden chances as first sub Jack Bearne broke away and had his effort saved before Yusifu Ceesay, another sub, skewed his effort wide of the post. Ceesay a minute later would also see a one on one collected by Matt Urwin in the Chorley goal.

Much to the relief of the home side’s players and fans the referee finally blew his whistle for full-time to signal a much better performance from the Reds and an end to the winless run. In terms of MOTM, personally, I would award it to Krystian Pearce who cleared everything that came his way and was faultless.

The Harriers will now travel to Banbury Utd for the first time in forty years this coming Saturday in an attempt to back up today’s performance with a win on the road.

FT: 1 – 0

Goal for Harriers: Richards 25

The Harriers Online MotM is: Krystian Pearce

Talk about the game here

Latest table and stats here

Harriers	Goals	Subs	Time	Cards
Palmer
Starbuck
Richards
Leak
Pearce
Byrne
Rogers			82
Martin
Morgan-Smith			78
Hemmings
Freemantle			87
Subs:
Lowe
Ceesay			87
Brown			78
Margetson
Bearne			82
Chorley FC	Goals	Subs	Time	Cards
Urwin
Challoner
Smith
Blakeman
Leather
Shenton
Whitehouse			80
Calveley			57
Hall
Tomlinson			74
Ustabasi
Subs:
Nolan			57
Johnson
Okome
Owens			80
Schorah			74
Referee:
Mr Darren Rogers
Warrington